"A new fellowship program will begin next year, aiming to help communities in Central Appalachia rebuild their economies. The Appalachian Transition Fellowship Program is a project of the non-profit Highlander Center, based in Eastern Tennessee. Early next year, it will select 15 communities in the Appalachian areas of Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina. With input from those communities, they’ll select 15 fellows to undertake one-year economic development projects."

"I oppose utility-scale wind energy development in the Appalachian region, and not because I don’t recognize the need for alternative energy. I am aware of the harm caused by reliance on coal, and I am concerned about global warming. Appalachian wind development, however, is more of a distraction than a solution to these problems. And it threatens some of the best of the region’s wild landscape. Ridgeline wind projects typically require extensive forest clearing and excavation for roads, turbines, powerlines, and substations. With about a mile needed for every seven turbines, even low-capacity projects result in substantial habitat loss and harm to wildlife. The environmental footprint is simply too large in relation to the benefits."

"In spite of awareness about the impact of coal, some know little about the lives of those who produce it and live in the effects. With profound compassion and respect I provide some insight into their world. I explore the evidence of an American ideological past and the nostalgia that exists within the way of life and traditions encompassing coal. An underlying connection exists to my subjects through the air we breathe and the resources we take from the land."

"Very little salad. An overabundance of potatoes. Mountains of rice, white bread and other boxed starches, as well as dried beans, sweet potatoes, cornbread and collard greens. But how does understanding what lines the grocery store shelves in rural Appalachia impact the way residents and public health nurses combat issues such as diabetes and obesity? That’s the subject of University of Virginia School of Nursing doctoral student Esther Thatcher’s dissertation, which aims to assess food access in far Southwestern Virginia (specifically Lee, Wise and Scott counties)."

"Appalachian coal, which contributes substantially to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., is poised to take advantage of California's cap-and-trade carbon market. By destroying the methane that is currently released into the air from ventilating underground mines, coal companies may snatch a chunk of the coveted carbon market in California -- the only place in the U.S. where there is a limit and a price on carbon."

"As Pike County prepares to host next week’s Shaping Our Appalachian Region summit, county officials say they hope the gathering will produce results and note that the region already has been studied extensively. In preparation for the SOAR summit, Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford and his staff gathered up every comprehensive development plan and advisory study concerning Pike County and Eastern Kentucky they could find. When they were done, the judge/executive’s large conference room table was inadequate space to review them, and another table was brought into the room."

"Something special and potentially transformative is underway in the Appalachian region of Kentucky, and it’s not too late to be a part of it.Already, more than 1,000 people have registered to attend a summit that will kick off an initiative called 'S.O.A.R.: Shaping Our Appalachian Region.' The summit will be held Dec. 9 at the East Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville. At its most basic level, it’s a marshaling of ideas, people, energy, innovation and commitment."

"Do you pahk the cah in Hahvahd yahd? Do you refer to multiple people as 'dey'? Is a jelly doughnut called a 'bismark,' or is everything that comes out of a soda fountain called a coke, even if it’s really 7-Up? Do you root for Da Bears? The way we speak, both the phrases we use and the accents that inflect those phrases, come from our upbringings. And in a nation of more than 300 million people, it’s little wonder that those accents vary widely. More than a decade ago, Robert Delaney, a reference associate at Long Island University, put together this map of the 24 regions of American English."

The Weekly Links is intended to bring awareness of news stories related to the Appalachian region. An article's inclusion in this list does notimply agreement with or approval of all things written within.